Living Tiny with @tincanramblers

So excited to share J & Brit today from @TinCanRamblers. I started following them when they lived in a cute renovated Airstream & now they live in an RV they totally remodeled. Wait until you see how beautiful it is!

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Hey there! We wanted to share a little about our journey to living tiny in hopes for you to get to know us a bit more and to help anyone out there who may be considering the lifestyle. =)

Way back when (or at least it feels like it)…

Three years ago you could find my husband (J) and I (Brit) living in a 3 bedroom house in the suburbs of Nashville, TN. We loved our house at the time and honestly when we bought it we thought we would live there for decades but that plan changed.  We started to feel stuck in the daily routine and wanted more adventure out of life.  Our journey into this lifestyle started when I was obsessing over tiny houses and sending my husband absolutely everything I could find on tiny living. I was 110% sold on the idea and the thought of selling everything we owned sounded so freeing. I found so much inspiration from others who had already taken the leap and shared their stories through social media/blogs/youtube channels.  I could just picture us rolling down the road with everything we owned in the home being pulled behind us! It took a while for me to convince my husband (he wasn’t sold on a tiny house) - but finally he came around and instead of building a tiny house he pitched the idea of an RV…..and the rest is history.

Our main intentions in living tiny were to pay off debt, have financial freedom, and to be able to travel.  We started downsizing immediately and sold/donated pretty much everything we owned - except a small amount of clothing. This process was so eye-opening, to go through the stuff we had been carrying around for years for no reason at all other than we thought we “needed” it. We put our house on the market, luckily it sold very quickly and we moved into an apartment while we renovated a 1980 Airstream Excella. We spent the winter completely gutting and rebuilding our new home on wheels, from flooring, to plumbing, to electrical, etc.. Luckily, we had family along the way to help us build our dream and we learned so much from the experience. We poured so much love into our little home and it was finally happening right before us. It definitely wasn’t easy though, we had challenges along the way and things would go wrong - at times it felt like we would never finish. Through this process we learned to not dwell on the problems - just fix them and move forward, it’s all part of the journey.

The following spring we finished the build and moved into our airstream. We were living stationary in Nashville at the time at an RV park. Adjusting to the smaller space took some time, but we quickly fell in love with living tiny.  We lived in our airstream for about a year until we decided we wanted a little more space. We decided to sell the airstream and buy a travel trailer with slides. We ended up purchasing a Forest River Wildwood 27REI which we live in currently. Even though this rv was much newer than our airstream and didn’t need a complete remodel, we knew we wanted to make our new camper feel like home. So the first project on our list was to paint. We painted pretty much everything, the walls, the cabinets, the doors… The paint made such a big difference in the space and it felt so much bigger inside! From there we continued to do projects here and there to update the space and it started feeling like home in no time! I love decor and am always coming up with a new project around the camper or changing something up. =)

What our life looks like currently...We’ve been mostly stationary in Nashville for the majority of the past 2 years, but we’ve been parked in southern Alabama for a couple months now and are looking forward to traveling more soon! If you are considering living stationary for any amount of time, a lot of rv parks offer a discount for monthly stays, and even seasonal rates if you plan to stay the entire season. J works remotely and my job is based out of Nashville. If you are looking for remote work, a great resource that we’ve found to be helpful is www.flexjobs.com. We also have two pups, Rocky is our 5 year old Yorkie/Pom mix and Charlie is our 2 year old Merle Long Haired Chihuahua. They have adjusted so well to RV life and we spend so much more time outdoors than we used to! 
We quickly fell in love with living tiny and don’t foresee stopping anytime soon! We stop and think about our purchases now and whether we actually need an item, because let’s be honest - we just don’t have room for non-essential items. One day when we are done with life on the road, we hope to build a small house in the mountains somewhere and maybe build a camper van for adventures. 
All this to say, if you are considering tiny living we encourage you to take the leap! It may seem scary at first, but the journey will be so rewarding!
If you would like to follow along with our journey we’d love to get to know you - come say hi on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tincanramblers/ . =)

Airstream Life & Renovation with @thislittleairstream

Miranda Lawson is on the blog today talking about Their tiny living journey & Airstream Renovation. If you’re on the hunt for an amazing wedding photographer, check out her website!

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When I was a kid I played outside. I never wore shoes. I picked potato bugs off potato plants in the garden and spent hours studying them. I dug in the dirt.  I took baths in the creek and chased minnows around in the water with empty yogurt containers. It felt good to play outside. 

When I had my own girls in 2008 and 2010 I wanted them to experience nature in the same way. Then real-life happened. My husband and I worked regular 9-5 jobs. We came home from work exhausted. It was already dark and dinner needed to be made. Then dishes, and homework. and laundry. The same routine, every day. At the end of the day it felt like we were getting nowhere and my kids were growing up fast. This was not the childhood I imagined for them. 

In 2016 I had a wake up call.  A few days after my annual exam, my Dr sent me a Facebook message at 10:00pm (yep, I'm facebook friends with my gynecologist). She asked if she could call me and told me the news. I had cancer.  My life flashed before my eyes and I vowed to make the most of every moment with my family.  I thanked Jesus for my two beautiful girls and I had a hysterectomy. 

A year later, I had another life changing event called Irma. The strongest observed Atlantic hurricane ever plowed straight for my home in SWFL.  I will never forget the days leading up to the monster storm Irma and how I felt the day we left. For the first time in my life, I didn't care about the house. That house and all of the stuff we spent our whole lives working for- WHY did we have it? Its just STUFF. As I drove away from the house, I realized the only thing that mattered was in the car with me. 

In Feb 2018 we decided to change our lifestyle and travel full time in an RV. Our goal was to focus on making memories with our kids and adventuring outdoors.  We bought a 1998 25' Airstream and began preparations.  Over the course of the next 8 months we renovated the Airstream, donated most of our stuff, and sold our house.  We moved into the Airstream in October 2018.  

Some say we're crazy but we are loving our new lifestyle. My kids are adventuring outside and finally experiencing the life I had imagined for them. When I see them covered in dirt at the end of the day I know we made the right decision. 

Follow our adventures at instagram.com/thislittleairstream

Wedding Photography website: http://weddingphotographerfl.com

Traveling out of the Country with Dogs by @cedar.stream

I’m so excited to have Nathalie, Louis, & Parker from @cedar.stream on the blog today! They travel full-time in their 1969 Airstream Globetrotter. The pictures from all their travels are breathtaking! I know you’ll love them just as much as we do! Today Nathalie is going to share all about their experience crossing the Canadian border with their pup Parker.

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The first time I saw photos of the Canadian Rockies, specifically Banff National Park, I knew I needed to go. The mountains have always spoken to me and these particular ones looked phenomenal.

When we started making travel plans for summer 2018, some friends reached out wanting to meet up in Montana. This meant we would be a matter of minutes from the Canadian border. This was our chance to go north and explore those beautiful places we’d seen in photos.

But what about our sweet pup, Parker? I knew we couldn’t leave her behind.

I quickly started researching what it would take to bring a dog across the Canadian border. After reading a handful of web pages, we were excited to find we could bring Parker across and that she would be able to explore with us!

Here is a list of the top 3 things you should know when traveling across the Canadian Border with your pet:

1-Your pet needs to be vaccinated against rabies. The little tag on your pet’s collar doesn’t count, you’ll need the actual paper your veterinarian gave you the day of the shot. The paper will list: your pet’s name, breed, color, weight, and age; your vet’s contact information and license number; and lastly, the serial number for the vaccination and where it was manufactured. If you don’t have this paper call your vet and have them send you a copy before you reach the border. Pet vaccinations are required in both Canada and the US. You never know when you’ll be asked to show proof so be prepared by keeping a copy with you at all times.

2-Open bags of pet food can’t be brought across the Canadian border. Know how much your pet needs for the duration of the visit and bring a new, sealed bag that is no larger than 40 lbs. The US is a little more relaxed in regards to pet food so if you purchased the food in the US, you should be good to bring the rest back with you.

3-Research where you can or cannot bring your pet. Dogs are allowed on most trails in the Canadian National Parks. Make sure your pet stays on leash at all times. Leash laws are for the safety of your pet, wild life, and the beautiful land you’re exploring.

Now that you know the basics, I’ll tell you a little about our experience.

When we got to Montana I pulled out our folder of Parker’s paperwork. After flipping through it we noticed we had a paper saying which vaccines she had done, but it wasn’t “the rabies paper” we needed… crap.

The stress about whether our Canada trip would happen or not kicked in. I called our veterinarian first thing the next morning (just two days before we were supposed to cross the border) and was able to get a copy emailed to us within an hour. We were lucky to get a copy so quickly, however, I would not recommend putting it off until the last minute!

We were now fully prepared to cross the border. We knew all the rules and had a plan, yet I still felt so nervous! When we got to the Canadian border we rolled down our windows, even the back ones, so Parker could say hello. We had nothing to hide. We handed over our passports, had Parker’s rabies vaccination record in hand, and waited for the officer to ask questions. I don’t know why I was so anxious about crossing! It was so quick and easy.

We got into Canada, no problem. It was time to explore all the incredible lakes and mountains our hearts desired via kayak, hiking, hammock, and more, all with our little adventure pup by our side. We visited Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National Parks. They were all amazing and unique in their own ways. We met people from all over, who shared similar experiences of ease, bringing their furry friends on their travels.

If you are considering bringing your pet to Canada, don’t let crossing the border scare you. We experienced things seamlessly going both in and out. Parker enjoyed all the new places we went and we could sleep easily knowing she was by our side.

A little about @cedar.streams

We are Nathalie and Louis. We have been traveling full time in our self renovated, off-grid Airstream for a year and a half. Louis does carpentry work on the road, while Nathalie takes care of planning and documenting this big journey we call life. We boondocks everywhere we go to give ourselves, and our very adventurous dog, Parker, a chance to explore unique places and fully submerge ourselves in the outdoors.

To find Nathalie & Louis’ IG click HERE

For more cuteness from Parker search #Parkertheadventurepup on IG

How to Make Friends on Social Media

When we started our first renovation I decided to start an instagram account, because none of my personal friends were interested in me spamming my personal account with renovation pictures. Well even though I’m in the millennial generation I didn’t know any of the “how to grow on Instagram secrets”. I literally posted random renovation shots whenever and didn't even know how to use a hashtag. I remember when my account grew to 100 followers I was floored, like what? There’s other people on here that want to see an Airstream Renovation?! Then I stumbled across @themayesteam account and they were having an IG course with all the juicy secrets of IG. I asked Zach if he thought I should sign up and he said sure why not? I had just transitioned from being a salon owner & hairdresser to being a stay at home mom. I took their course and was blown away. Mainly because I began to realize just how large the tiny living community is! I didn’t realize how many people actually travel around full time in RVs'/buses etc. If you are looking for a good landing space on how to grow I definitely recommend their course. Something I took away from their class was how IG is such a good virtual community. I actually thought it was kind of silly that people had “virtual friends”, but once I got over that and started reaching out to fellow tiny living community members I realized just how amazing it was! I’ll be honest though, it was intimidating reaching out to others. But, as time went on it got easier and easier. I recommend starting with similar accounts to yours and just reach out & start a conversation! Our goal for this blog is to share others in this community and tips & tricks they’ve learned! In this post I’m going to share some of our IG friends that we love following to see their journey. I hope you enjoy them! Along with guest posts we are going to have a monthly “shout out” post of checking out other tiny home / travel families. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a post! Our first guest post will be next week from @rvfixerupper!

First, I’ll showcase @themayesteam

Gabriel & Debbie have 4 cute kids and live on their amazing converted school bus. As you read before they have an IG course, go check out their website & IG for more information! Click here -> https://www.themayesteam.com

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@tinyshinyhome

They were one of the first Airstream traveling families we came across & I fell in love with their family! Their feed is all about tiny living, family time, & adventures. I love how active they are with their crew and it gave me hope seeing how successful they are as a full-time traveling family with 4 kids! Not to mention they pick the coolest spots to boondock! Go check out their new boondocking challenge here -> https://tinyshinyhome.com/challenge

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@shinyhousemovement

I’m so thankful we met this cute little family & will hopefully meet in person soon considering they live in the state we are from, Louisiana. They are about to move into a cute renovated Airstream mammoth, a beastly 34 footer. -> https://www.instagram.com/shinyhousemovement/

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@lovemaemiller

These guys have renovated a motorhome, Airstream, and just bought a huge 5th wheel! I love their style & cute kiddos! They too are a traveling family. Check out Mae’s blog here -> https://lovemaemiller.com

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@jessij03

I love how bright & airy this adorable mommas RV is! They live in SoCal with their adorable kids! -> https://www.instagram.com/jessij03/

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